Here is a dessert special I did the other day for work just using leftovers we had around. It is basically a miniature trifle in a mason jar. On the bottom I put some small pieces of coconut cake. I topped that with a fresh local strawberry compote, followed by chocolate cheesecake cream, then a lemon cookie crumble and a fresh strawberry. This made for layers of contrasting flavors and textures.
Chocolate Cheesecake Cream
Beat some cream cheese until smooth. Beat in some cocoa powder and sugar. Then gradually pour in some cream and keep whipping until the mixture is stiff.
I don't have amounts for this recipe - but I would say it's about equal amounts cream cheese and whipping cream. Then add enough cocoa powder and sugar to flavor.
Shellfish festival gala dinner dessert plate. That's three desserts per plate times 450 people equals 1350 mini desserts by three amazing pastry chefs.
Top: Lemon macaroon with lemon cream filling
Right: raspberry swirled cheesecake on graham crust with raspberry buttercream and fresh raspberry
Left: blueberry tartlet with white chocolate ganache, chantilly cream, and chocolate garnish
Salted caramel sauce.
Vegan Citrus Cheesecakes
1 1/4 cup raw cashews
1 lemon
1 lime
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup agave
Place the cashews in a small saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer gently until almost all water has evaporated. Drain, then transfer to a food processor or ideally a Vitamix blender.
Slice the hard ends off the lemon and lime, then cut into pieces. Add to the cashews.
Process mixture until very smooth, then add vanilla and agave (more or less, to taste. Chill until firm, or serve immediately as a cheesecake dip, but it will be slightly warm and the texture and 'cheesecakeyness' will be much better once cold.
I put my batter into six muffin cups, lined with melted chocolate. You will be amazed at how much the texture is like cheesecake. The taste is similar too, maybe not as 'cheesy' but close. This is a good basic vegan cheesecake recipe, and can be flavored in a variety of ways - chocolate, cinnamon, berries, etc.
Cheesecake is a classic, well-loved dessert. Here is a simple recipe for a baked cheesecake, that uses only four ingredients for the filling. It uses a good portion of cream cheese and no other fillings such as sour cream, but simply cream cheese, and low-fat cream cheese at that.
Simple Cheesecake
one 9-inch crust (see NOTE)
4 packages light cream cheese spread, softened
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
Preheat oven to 325◦F.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium-low speed until light and smooth. Beat in the vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just blended, scraping the bowl as necessary. Pour into prepared crust.
Bake for 45-60 minutes until cake is set, but center is still slightly jiggly. Cool slightly, then remove or loosen from pan and cool completely. Chill for several hours until cold.
NOTE: Any type of 9-inch prepared or baked crust can be used for this cheesecake, depending on what type of flavor you would like.
For a homemade crust, a general rule is to combine 1 1/4 cups cookie or cracker crumbs with 1/4 cup melted butter or hard margarine, and 2-4 Tablespoons of sugar if using crackers or less sweet cookies.
Graham crackers, chocolate wafer cookies, gingersnaps, and shortbread cookies all work well.
Recently I received a nice treat - you just cannot beat home-baked goodies! These are miniature cheesecakes my mother sent me. They consist of a moist, chocolate cake base that is marbled in with a pumpkin cheesecake filling containing chocolate chips. These miniature cheesecakes contain a nice dose of chocolate, and a hint of pumpkin flavor. They are very moist, and have a nice cheesecake consistency as well. They actually improve a bit with age in the fridge, as they soften even more and the flavors mellow. I like the mini, individual size of these and how everyone can get their own. It is also a clever way to make some cheesecake go a long way - as cream cheese can be an expensive ingredient. This is a nice fall dessert, but I would enjoy it any time of the year as they are refreshing as well.
This is the cheesecake recipe my mother has been making for years. Now that warmer weather is here and berry season is beginning, maybe she will make it again soon since it is always so much better topped with fresh strawberries and their juices. Blueberries and cherries are nice as well. This cheesecake recipe is a basic plain one. It is baked, and I find baked and no-bake cheesecakes do differ a slightly in texture, though both are good. This is a plain cheesecake - no added vanilla flavoring, sour cream, or anything fancy. Just a heavy dose of cream cheese. That's what makes it so good and easy. Like most baked cheesecakes, this one always risks the danger of cracking, though it usually doesn't and it can easily be masked with topping if necessary. My mother always bakes this cheesecake on a simple graham cracker crumb crust, which I think is really the go-to for cheesecakes. This basic cheesecake recipe could easily be vamped up into many different flavor combinations. For example, a chocolate crumb crust with chocolate sauce, a shortbread crust with whipped cream topping, or an oatmeal crust with a caramel apple topping. The possibilities are endless!
Well, the countdown is over and the day is finally here! It is World Nutella Day 2013 - the seventh annual World Nutella Day! If you read my past two posts, then you already know this is a day celebrated by bakers around the world, who create delicious Nutella creations! Of course since I love Nutella, I had to take part. Actually, I realized how much I missed Nutella with all this Nutella baking, as I hadn't had it in a while. It is GOOD! Deciding which Nutella recipes to try was by far the most difficult part. There are just too many options. So what did I do? I looked at a few of my favorites (which doesn't narrow it done too much) and took my own spins on some, and made up some other Nutella creations based on others. Just so that I can add to all the Nutella options out there. I know, I'm mean, aren't I? Of course, I will be featuring more Nutella recipes this week, it is more like I am celebrating World Nutella Week here, as I can't stop at just one creation. But here is my Nutella creation for the day. Happy World Nutella Day to everyone!
Layered Nutella Cheesecake Squares
CHOCOLATE CRUST
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine OR
1/4 cup each butter and Nutella
CHEESECAKE
2 packages (250 grams / 8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated (white sugar)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon whipping cream
1/3 cup Nutella
CRUST: Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line an 8x8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and cocoa. Cut the butter into small cubes and cut it in. If using Nutella, stir it in now. Then get your hands in there and crumble the mixture together. It may seem dry t first, which is why it really needs to be mixed. Press firmly into prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes. Cool before adding cheesecake layer.
CHEESECAKE: Preheat oven to 325◦F. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the sugar, beating until combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating after each until just incorporated. Beat in the vanilla, then 1/4 cup of the cream.
Pour 2/3 of the mixture (or closer to 1/2, if you wish) over baked crust, spread evenly. To remaining mixture, beat in the Nutella and 1 Tablespoon cream. Carefully spoon over batter in pan and spread evenly, being careful not to disturb the bottom layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes until edges are set but center is still a little jiggly. It will set upon cooling. Cool completely on a wire rack, then chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours before serving.
To go further: add a Nutella chocolate glaze, serve with Nutella chocolate sauce, add a dollop of Nutella whipped cream, or simply serve with a spoonful of Nutella on top. No really. This cheesecake can be dressed up any way you like, like most cheesecakes; fruit, chocolate whipped cream, or more Nutella! Mmmmm, Nutella, Nutella Nutella, Nutella :)
For more information on World Nutella Day, please visit: http://nutelladay.com/, as well as the blogs for Sara and Michelle, who declared this day as World Nutella Day, at
http://msadventuresinitaly.com/blog/ and http://bleedingespresso.com/
Blueberry Hazelnut Cheesecake Squares
CRUST
1 1/4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
3/4 cup finely chopped, toasted hazelnuts
1/3 cup granulated (white) sugar
pinch salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
FILLING
2 packages (250 grams/8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 Tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream (milk works too, as long as you use full fat cream cheese)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Preheat oven to 325◦F. Butter a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
CRUST: In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients except the butter, then cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into prepared pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and firm.
FILLING: In a large bowl using a wooden spoon, beat the cream cheese and the sugar. Add the flour, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in cream and extracts, then gently fold in blueberries. Pour onto prepared crust. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until center is just set. Let cool to room temperature for an hour, then cover and refrigerate for at least three hours.
This is a new blueberry recipe I just tried this year! I already knew that cheesecake and blueberries go well together, and I like the combination of blueberries with hazelnuts. All together this makes really nice squares. I usually do not bake with nuts, but hazelnuts are my favorite, and they really add a buttery texture and nice flavor and crunch to these squares. These squares come together fairly easily, and taste really good. It comes from my huge baking book, that I like to refer to as my baking bible. I used one of the tablespoons of flour called for in the recipe to coat the blueberries so they would not sink in the batter. I also found that my pan of cheesecake took a lot longer to bake, maybe because I used an 8x8 inch pan, which would make the batter deeper, but I found it cooked a lot better when I turned up the oven temperature to 350◦F.
Williams - Sonoma. "Blueberry Cheesecake Squares with Hazelnut Crust." Recipe. Essentials of Baking, San Francisco: Oxmoor House, 2003. 152.
Strawberry Cheesecake Brownies
BROWNIE LAYER
2 large eggs, beaten until frothy
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
dash salt
CHEESECAKE LAYER
4 ounces (125 grams) cream cheese, softened (that's half a block)
1 large egg
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) all-purpose (plain) flour
3/4 cup fresh, ripe strawberries with juices, diced and lightly sweetened
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease an 8x8 inch square pan or line with parchment paper.
BROWNIE LAYER: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and stir in the cocoa. Add the remaining brownie ingredients to the eggs, then pour the cocoa mixture over and stir all together. Spread 2/3 of this mixture into prepared pan.
CHEESECAKE LAYER: In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese with the egg until smooth. Add the sugar gradually, then add the flour. Stir in the strawberries. Pour over brownie layer in pan.
Put remaining brownie mixture over this layer in small spoonfuls. Use a knife to swirl these two layers together. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cheesecake layer is almost set. Cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating.
Cream cheese swirl brownies are quite popular. They make a good change from the usual brownies, or a different type of cheesecake. The recipe I followed called for maraschino cherries in the cream cheese filling. Since it is strawberry season, I decided to try strawberries. Also, it was difficult to find a recipe for strawberry chocolate cheesecake, they are usually just used as a garnish. The original recipe called for only 1/2 cup of cut-up, well-drained cherries, but I used more strawberries and left the juices in. This might be why the squares are a bit soft, but it is cheesecake after all. This recipe uses my basic, go-to brownie recipe that I love, and it is so easy. Then it adds a simple little cream cheese layer, and some fruit. Quite easy to make, and they look quite pretty, all swirled with white, chocolate, and pink.
Here is a simple but delicious cheesecake. It is a simple, baked cheesecake recipe on a graham crumb crust. My mother made it using the same basic recipe she always uses for cheesecake. This makes an excellent cheesecake that has a smooth, creamy texture, and isn't too rich or overwhelming. The cheesecake is perfectly delicious on its own, but there are also many ways it can be jazzed up. Some of our favorite ways to serve it are with fresh, sweetened strawberries, blueberry sauce or chocolate sauce. Any fresh fruit or sweet dessert sauce would be excellent with it. In this case, my mother placed some Valentine's chocolates on top once the cake had been baked and cooled: some milk chocolate hearts and some chocolate kisses. The cheesecake recipe could also be varied by using a different types of crust, perhaps pastry, shortbread, or chocolate crumb. I'm sure you could also add to the batter, perhaps a hint of orange zest, coffee grounds, or a spoonful of cocoa. Chopped chocolate, fruit, or nuts could also be added. It is easy and usually relatively safe to experiment with cheesecake, and the results can be quite rewarding!
Cheesecake is a fairly easy and delicious dessert to make. They can range in size, can be almost any flavor, from sweet to savoury, and can be bake or no-bake. Cheesecakes can also be made with any type of crust, and any type of garnishes.
The main ingredient in cheesecakes, of course, is cream cheese. Most recipes recommend that you use full-fat cream cheese for the best results, but some recipes use low-fat or even fat-free cheesecake. Sometimes sour cream or yogurt is also added to the cheesecake to further enhance the rich, creamy texture and flavour. Another important ingredient in cheesecakes is eggs, which can be any amount upwards of three. Eggs provide stability and help the cheesecake to rise, since no baking powder or baking soda is used. Sugar provides the sweetness in dessert cheesecakes to make them sweet. And every cheesecake needs a splash of flavouring, whether it be vanilla extract, orange zest, cold coffee, lime juice, or almond extract.
The one problem many of us have with cheesecakes is cracking, which often occurs during baking or shortly after. If your cheesecake does crack, hide it with garnishes. Whipped cream, chocolate glaze, fruit, and chocolate curls are all good at concealing
cracks. However, there are some steps and precautions you can take to prevent your cheesecake from cracking.
* Make sure cream cheese is at room temperature before using, and not softened in the microwave.
* Thoroughly beat the cream cheese with the sugar.
* Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, but being careful not to overbeat.
* Any ingredients added after the eggs should be beat until just blended.
* Cheesecakes should be baked at a lower temperature for a longer amount of time.
* Bake cheesecakes in a water bath.
* Do not open the oven until the minimum amount of baking time is reached.
* Do not over bake cheesecakes. They should still jiggle a bit in the middle.
* Do not test a cheesecake for doneness by inserting anything into it.
* Run a butter knife around the edge of the cheesecake immediately after removing it from the oven to loosen it from the pan.
* Allow cheesecakes to cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating.
* Cheesecakes should be baked in springform pans.
Chocolate Coconut Cheesecake Squares are rich, creamy, chocolatey squares on a coconutty shortbread base. I really liked the base because I love shortbread, and although I am not a huge coconut fan, the coconut in the base made the squares different and interesting. The chocolate cheesecake topping was dense and delicious. Any cheescake lover will devour these squares. They were fairly easy to make, and didn't take too long. One thing that surprised me about these squares was that the base did not have to be baked prior to adding the filling, which was a major convenience. The crust was firm, and although the cheescake was quite soft (it might be due to the heat) the squares cut very easily and stayed together very well. These squares really hit the spot and satisfy a hankering for sweets!
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